If Things Were Different
by WeasleySeeker
Summary: "She had always known that she would have to choose between Ted and her family eventually, but she never dreamed that it would be this soon." Andromeda Black is pregnant, sooner than she would have hoped. How will she cope without her family's support?
1. Month One: Positive

**13th July 1972**

Andromeda steadied her trembling hand and muttered the incantation, pointing her wand towards her stomach. She gasped as the green spark shot up. Positive.

So she was pregnant. That was... inconvenient, to say the least. Why weren't they more careful? These were dangerous times. Bringing up a child during the war would not be easy. But that was not her only worry. She had always known that she would have to choose between Ted and her family eventually, but she never dreamed that it would be this soon. Andromeda had barely been out of Hogwarts for a year; she had a small office job in the Ministry which didn't pay much, but her parents weren't worried about the money, especially since the job was only meant to be temporary, until she got married and became a full-time housewife.

Ah, yes. That was the other small complication. Andromeda was engaged to Rabastan Lestrange. The families had arranged the marriage when Andromeda was only thirteen. It was always planned that her and Bella would have the most gorgeous double wedding. And at that age, it had been all that Andromeda could ever dream of.

But that was before she met Ted. There was something about him that meant that he brought joy to everyone around him. Even a spoiled little Pureblood Princess like Andromeda used to be. But she wasn't like that any more. He had changed her for the better. And she knew that he would make a fantastic dad.

At this thought, Andromeda felt a stab of guilt. She was having a _baby_! She had been thinking about it like it was just an inconvenience, something getting in the way of how she wanted to live her life. But it was a blessing! She was going to have a child, Ted's child. Now that was amazing. She just wanted to run around and share her joy with everyone.

Who could she tell? She knew that Ted would be thrilled. Should she tell him straight away? Or should she prepare him? She had heard people say that men could be... awkward when they first found out they were going to become fathers. Andromeda didn't think Ted would be like that - although she knew some men were funny about commitment, Ted had never had that problem as far as she knew. But she needed to come to terms with it herself first before there was a possibility of her having to console her shocked boyfriend.

But she just had to tell someone. Andromeda knew that if things were different, she would tell Bella. She told Bella everything. There was something comforting about Bella's scorn. It made her problems seem so much less significant.

But she couldn't. Bella didn't know about Ted, and besides, nobody could know, not yet. Andromeda needed to make some decisions. This was one of those cases where it was a choice between what was right and what was easy. She didn't want to have an abortion; she couldn't stand to kill a living baby, _Ted's_ living baby, just because of her own mistake. Well, maybe it wasn't exactly a living baby yet. But it would be one day.

There were other options. Andromeda could easily go to Rabastan and tell him she had slept with another man (he didn't have to know it was Ted) and sob and grovel, and she knew he loved her enough to forgive her, even though she felt nothing for him. Then they could lie and pretend it was Rabastan's baby. The wedding would go ahead as planned and Andromeda could live a cosy, secure life.

But she knew she couldn't do that. She had to follow her heart. She loved Ted, and she was willing to give up anything to be with him. The only reason she hadn't left to be with him already was because she had hoped to save up some money to live on; Ted's family wasn't very well off. _But you don't need money to be happy_, Andromeda thought. She knew she would have a perfect little life with Ted and their baby. There might be some hard times, but that didn't matter. They loved each other.

"ANDROMEDA!" her mother screeched from downstairs, interrupting her daydream. "DINNER'S READY!"

"Just a minute!" she called.

She sighed. She hated her family's beliefs, but they were her family, she couldn't help loving them. And her pregnancy would be much more difficult without her mother's support. Who could she turn to with questions? There was always Ted's mother, she supposed, but although she seemed nice, she had only met her a couple of times, so it would be slightly awkward. How was Andromeda supposed to become a mother when she wasn't even on speaking terms with her own?

* * *

**A/N: This is for Eirinn Croi's Pondering Parenthood Challenge on HPFC. There will be 10 shortish chapters, one for each month of the pregnancy and one for the birth. Thank you to my wonderful beta, kci47, who helped me out with some ideas for this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, obviously.**

**I just wanted to add, because I know this is a sensitive issue for lots of people, that I have absolutely nothing against people choosing to have abortions. But Andromeda obviously can't have an abortion, because that's not what the mighty JKR decided, and we wouldn't have the wonderful Nymphadora Tonks!**

**On a lighter note, I love reviews! (Hint hint...)**


	2. Month Two: Hope

**2nd August 1972**

Andromeda and Ted lay on their backs, side by side, on the grass in a Muggle playground, in the summer air and the fading light. It was late evening, so the playground was closed, but they had climbed over the fence and just lay there, hands joined, in companionable silence. They didn't need to speak. Both of them just needed some time to be together and de-stress. This was the perfect place. They could be nobody. Just two teenagers that nobody knew or cared about. It didn't matter. They cared about each other.

Suddenly, Andromeda spoke. She couldn't spend every minute of the day worrying about it on her own any more. She needed to tell him. "Ted?"

"Yes?"

"I... I'm sorry, I should have told you this as soon as I found out. I..."

"What?"

"I'm pregnant."

The expression on Ted's face went from one of shock, to one of joy, to one of worry.

"Wh- what are you going to do?" he asked fretfully. "I mean, it's wonderful, absolutely wonderful, but... your family! What about them?"

"I... I don't know," she said honestly. "I don't know what to do, Ted."

Ted sighed, worry lines creasing his brow. "Well," he said finally, "you don't have to do anything yet. How far along are you?"

"About eight weeks, I think."

"So it'll be at least another couple of months before you start to show," said Ted reasonably. "You can hide it from your family for that long, before you decide what to do."

"Mm," Andromeda agreed uncertainly. Her mother was bound to suspect something if she was given the slightest clue. Andromeda would have to be careful. "Let's run away, Ted," she said suddenly. "Right now. Then I'll never have to explain to my parents. And we can be together forever. You, me and the baby. We'll be a family."

Ted thought for a second. "I don't think so, Dromeda," he said.

Her face fell. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Well, it's not just about us any more, is it?" he asked. "Maybe if things were different. But we have to think what's best for our child," he added, gesturing at Andromeda's stomach. "Look at us, Dromeda. We're barely out of school, still teenagers, with no homes outside our parents, no money to our names. The least we can do is wait a few months so you can save up your wages. And you can make the most of the time you have left with your family." Andromeda opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to stop her. "I know you say you're willing to leave your family," he began, "but I know that even though you disagree with their beliefs, you love them. You must at least want a chance to say goodbye."

A single tear rolled down Andromeda's cheek. "You know me so well," she whispered. "Thank you, Ted."

"There's no need to thank me," he laughed. "I love you!"

"I love you too." There was another brief silence. "Ted, you'll think I'm crazy. But I can't help but hope... they're my family. My _family_. Do you think there's even the tiniest chance that they might... accept us?"

"Dromeda..." Ted said warningly.

"I _love_ them, Ted. They've done some awful, awful things, but they're still my family. Nothing can ever change that, can it?"

"No," he admitted. "But don't get your hopes up, Andromeda. You know what they think about Mud... people like me. You'll only get hurt, Dromeda, and I'd hate for that to happen."

Andromeda sighed dejectedly. "I know, Ted. I know I'm living in my dream world. I know they won't accept us. I know that really. But there's always hope, isn't there?"

Ted nodded, a strange expression on his face. "There's always hope."

* * *

**A/N: Poor Andromeda :'( Cheer her up with a review?**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I still wasn't J K Rowling!**

**Thank you again to the amazing kci47 for her help with this story! Go read her stories, they are wonderful!**

**Thank you to my reviewers: Empty Pen Name, chewinggumandpencils, Lolaaaa, Gamma Orionis and HeadlessHuntsman, you're all fantastic and I love you lots.**


	3. Month Three: Questions

**12th September 1972**

Andromeda needed to throw up. Again. But there was one problem: she was sitting at the dinner table with Bellatrix and her parents (Narcissa was at Hogwarts).

"Father, may I be excused?" she asked politely. She hoped that there would be no questions asked.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I... I'm not hungry," she said pathetically.

Her mother looked at her strangely. She usually had rather a large appetite. Compared with her sisters, anyway.

"Are you ill?" her mother demanded.

"Um... I'm not feeling my best, no," she answered. Maybe she could pass this off as a stomach bug. It should stop soon anyway; morning sickness was supposed to get better after the third month.

"What's wrong? Do we need to call a doctor?"

"No," said Andromeda, too quickly. Bellatrix looked at her strangely. _She suspects something, _Andromeda noted. "I've just got... stomach pains." There. Hopefully that was vague enough for them to ignore.

Her father nodded, satisfied. "Fine. Go. Ask one of the house elves if you want something later."

"Thank you."

It took all of her self control not to bolt out of the kitchen and down the corridor. She managed to contain it until she was out of sight of the kitchen. Then she sprinted, with her hand over her mouth, and only just made it to the toilet in time.

She had managed to hide her sickness up until then, with Silencing Charms and careful avoidance of food that would set her off, which she had discovered in the first few weeks. However, trust her to nearly blow it when she reaches (hopefully) the last few weeks! It was the egg in that dinner. Ugh. She shivered. She couldn't stand it.

Her stomach calmed a little. She thought it was safe to move. She cleaned herself up and turned her thoughts to the problem in hand.

Bellatrix. She knew. Andromeda was sure of it. Or if she didn't know, she suspected, and would soon. She knew Andromeda better than anyone. She had to think of something to tell her, and soon.

Sooner than she thought. Andromeda left the bathroom to find Bellatrix leaning casually against the opposite wall.

"I think little Andi has been a naughty girl," she sang, tauntingly.

_Shit_. Andromeda decided her best bet would be to feign ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bella. Now, if you'll excuse me -"

"Don't play games with me, Andromeda," Bellatrix snapped. "I heard you throwing up in there. You're pregnant, aren't you?"

Andromeda froze. She had forgotten the Silencing Charm. She clapped a hand over Bellatrix's mouth and looked frantically around her. "_Not here!_" she hissed. "They might hear!"

"So it's true!" Bellatrix exclaimed gleefully. "My oh-so-perfect little sister, _pregnant_ before she's married! Who would have believed it?"

"Bella! Don't go shouting about it!" Andromeda pleaded, and she dragged her into the deserted drawing room, pointing her wand at the door and locking it, remembering to cast a Silencing Charm this time.

"So how far gone are you?" Bellatrix demanded.

"About fourteen weeks," Andromeda sighed. "But more to the point, how the hell did you know?"

"Well, it's a bit obvious. For one thing, I just caught you throwing up, but there's also the dark circles round your eyes, the fact that you spend most of your time shut away in your bedroom. And the way that you can't look anyone in the eye when they ask you a question. Oh," she added, "and the fact that you're avoiding Rabastan. I presume he didn't react well?"

"Wh- Rabastan?" she repeated, confused. She had been despairing, thinking that her cover had been blown. She had forgotten that Bellatrix didn't know about Ted. Andromeda breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, Rabastan. Actually, I haven't told him yet."

"Why not?" Bellatrix asked, puzzled.

Andromeda couldn't think of an answer. "Well... I... I don't..."

"_Oh_, you want an abortion," Bellatrix concluded.

Relief surged through Andromeda. "Yes. Yes. That's exactly it," she agreed feverishly. "If Mother found out I'd had sex before getting married, she'd kill me. And I don't want a baby yet."

"Yet?" Bellatrix repeated incredulously. "I never, _ever_ want a baby," she declared. "Disgusting, noisy creatures. I've got better things to do with my time. Anyway, when are you having it?"

"Having what?"

"The abortion, of course," Bellatrix said exasperatedly.

"Oh. Soon. I've got an appointment... in a few weeks," she invented wildly.

"Really? How can you wait that long? They expect you to throw up your guts in the meantime. I'd just lose patience and do it myself. I'll do it for you if you want, I know the spell."

"No!" Andromeda exclaimed, disgusted. "No. I'd rather have it done professionally, you know. Just in case."

"Well, rather you than me," said Bellatrix.

"Mm," she agreed, not really paying attention. "Listen, Bella - _please_ don't tell anyone this. _Anyone_."

She smirked. "Or what?"

"Or I'll tell Mother where you _really_ were last Friday. And all the other times." Bellatrix had been to her first few Death Eater meetings. Andromeda was the only one who knew. Although their parents were Death Eater sympathisers, they would not be happy with their daughter, a _girl_, joining. It wasn't the proper thing to do.

Bellatrix looked torn for a second. "Okay, deal," she said eventually.

"Thank you," Andromeda said warmly, and the two sisters hugged tightly. No matter what she was turning into, Bella would always be her sister. Andromeda just wished she could stop her.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading, I would love it if you dropped me a review and told me what you thought.**

**Disclaimer: I haven't transformed into J K Rowling in the last hour, and kci47 is still amazing.**

**Big hugs and thank yous to my reviewers: Empty Pen Name, chewinggumandpencils, Lolaaaa, Gamma Orionis HeadlessHuntsman and Someone aka Me.**


	4. Month Four: Decisions

**27th October 1972**

"Any more for Miss Andromeda?" the house elf squeaked.

"Mm, yes please, Binky," Andromeda replied enthusiastically, and the house elf spooned more shepherd's pie onto her plate, which she had cleaned quickly. The sickness had got better and Andromeda was getting more and more of an appetite recently. She was eating for two, after all.

Bellatrix still had a significant amount remaining on her plate. "Is the food not to Miss Bella's liking?" the house elf asked, slightly fearfully.

"No, it's fine. I'm just... _watching my weight_," Bellatrix said, looking pointedly across the table at Andromeda's stomach. Yes, the pregnancy was beginning to show. Not much, Andromeda was managing to cover it up with loose fitting clothing, but you couldn't miss it if you knew to look for it.

"_Bella_!" Andromeda hissed. It had been more than a few weeks since Andromeda had told Bellatrix that she was having an abortion, and Bellatrix was starting to get suspicious that she hadn't had it yet. Andromeda didn't know what to tell her, so she had been avoiding her, and the only chance Bellatrix got to ask about it was by dropping pointed hints into conversations around the dinner table. Andromeda was starting to worry that her parents would piece them together.

"Now, Bellatrix, there's no need to be rude," her mother scolded, although Andromeda did notice her mother eyeing her stomach a little. "Honestly, it's like you're thirteen again! And you don't need to watch your weight, there's nothing there to watch. Eat up."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and picked her fork back up. "Just because I don't want to look like a whale at my wedding," she muttered.

"What was that?" her mother demanded.

"Nothing, nothing," said Bellatrix.

"Good. Now, girls, I think we have some decisions to make."

"Like what?" Andromeda asked, confused.

"Like I think it's time you girls got married and out of this house," their mother said, to Andromeda's horror. "Bellatrix, you're far too old to still be living with your parents. Now Andromeda's out of school, what's stopping you getting married?"

"Nothing, nothing at all, is there, Andromeda?" Bellatrix asked deliberately, flashing her a sickening smile.

"No, no, of course," said Andromeda distractedly. This was all she needed.

"Great!" said their mother happily. "Well then, why don't we book you both in for a dress fitting at Madam Malkin's sometime next week then?"

A dress fitting? Her mother would definitely notice her bump then. "I - I can't," Andromeda said quickly.

"Why on Earth not?" her mother demanded. "Andromeda, what _is_ wrong with you today? You're acting very strangely."

"Nothing, I'm fine. It's just that I have to go to a... a conference," she lied desperately.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, for work. It's from... Tuesday until Friday."

"Why don't we get an appointment before Tuesday, then?" her mother asked.

"There are only three days left," Bellatrix supplied helpfully. "You have to book appointments at least a week in advance. I told you that before Cissy's engagement party." Andromeda shot her a grateful look - she hadn't thought that Bellatrix would have dug her out of that little hole. Bellatrix always surprised her, though.

"Oh," their mother said disappointedly. "Well, I'll send an owl and book you in for next Saturday, then." That was okay. She had no intention of hanging around for that long. Andromeda's next payday was on Friday. And she had arranged for her work to pay her last few months' wages to her directly, rather than into the family vault. Her parents wouldn't notice. It wasn't like they actually needed the money - the only reason they'd wanted Andromeda to have a job in the first place was that it got her out of the house.

After dinner, Andromeda went up to her room and grabbed some parchment and a quill.

_T -_

_I need to see you urgently. Meet at midnight in the usual place._

_A.B. xx_

* * *

Andromeda arrived to see Ted already waiting, worry written all over his face. "Dromeda, is everything all right? How are you doing? Is the sickness better? I -"

She cut across him."Ted. Bella knows."

"Bella - what?"

"She knows I'm pregnant. She's known for a while actually. She worked it out. I thought she would keep quiet, but she keeps dropping hints in front of my parents, and now Mother's talking about wedding dress fittings, and -"

"Hang on," he interrupted. "Slow down. You thought she wouldn't tell? How in Merlin's name could you think that?"

"Because I threatened to tell our parents that she's been going to Death Eater meetings. And she thinks it's Rabastan's, anyway, so it's not such a big deal. But I told her about six weeks ago that I was going to have an abortion, and now she doesn't understand why I haven't yet. And now Mother's booked us a dress fitting session for next Saturday, and she's bound to notice I've gone up a few sizes."

"So what are you going to do?"

There was a gleam in Andromeda's eyes. "I'm going to do it, Ted. My payday is on Friday. Then we'll have a bit of money to get us started, and I can run away! We can be together, finally. We won't have to hide any more!"

Ted looked thrilled, but also uneasy. "We can't get a house in a week. You'll have to come and stay with my parents for the time being."

"That's fine," said Andromeda. "If they're happy with it."

"Of course they will be," Ted reassured her. "Although I haven't exactly asked them yet... I didn't think it would be this soon."

"Nor did I," Andromeda admitted. "But I'm so glad it is. I love you, Ted. I can't wait until we become a proper family."

"I love you, Dromeda. And I know I'll love our baby, too."

Their lips met in a beautiful, unhurried kiss. Andromeda looked forward to the blank slate that was the future ahead of her. Some people might have been afraid of this, but Andromeda thought it was wonderful.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, without whom I would not have feverishly typed this update. More reviews will make my day!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I am not the beautiful, talented woman who owns Harry Potter.**

**Thank you again to kci47!**


	5. Month Five: Family

**3rd November 1972**

Andromeda entered the living room. _For what might be the last time,_ the voice in her head reminded her. She shook slightly at the thought.

The room was plastered with pictures, mainly sickeningly sweet-looking ones of Narcissa (there were barely any of Bellatrix and Andromeda once they got past about the age of seven). Amongst the pictures there was dreary-looking furniture, on which her parents and sister were sat. Her father was engrossed in the Daily Prophet, her mother was knitting and Bellatrix was glaring at her opposite, in stony silence. They had probably just been arguing about something. It wouldn't exactly be the first time.

Andromeda had been hovering in the doorway for some time before her mother looked up. "Oh, Dromeda," she greeted. "Did you have a nice conference?"

Andromeda hesitated. This could be the moment. She could take the easy option, she could just say 'yes' and be done with it. But she couldn't. She had to do the right thing by her child. "Er, well. The thing is, Mother, I... I wasn't at a conference."

Her mother looked slightly bemused. "You -"

"Oh, so you're going to come clean?" Bellatrix interrupted.

Andromeda looked at her, stunned. She couldn't possibly know, could she? "I'm sorry, what?"

"About the abortion. I assume that's where you were?" Bellatrix asked casually.

Andromeda's parents looked at her in horror.

"Andromeda Black!" her mother shrieked. "I am speechless!"

"No, no, Mother, it's not what it looks like," Andromeda said hurriedly.

"It's not?" Bellatrix asked, confused, while her mother's expression relaxed a little.

"No. But you're going to like the truth even less."

Andromeda's mother looked incredulous. "Something I could like less than that?"

Andromeda sighed. "I guess I'd better start from the beginning. Four years ago, I fell in love. I fell in love with the most wonderful, amazing man you could ever meet, and I've decided want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Andromeda, can we skip to the important part?" her mother demanded. "You are spending the rest of your life with Rabastan, you're getting married, for Merlin's sake!"

"No, but that's the thing, Mother," Andromeda insisted, snatching off the ring that had invaded her finger for so many years. "I can't marry Rabastan. It's not Rabastan I'm in love with."

"Don't be ridiculous," her father snapped. "You've been engaged to the Lestrange boy since you were thirteen years old!"

"Yes, and _then_ I fell in love with somebody else," said Andromeda.

"Well, the least you can do is tell us who he is!" her mother exclaimed.

"Well?" her father demanded.

There was an expectant silence. "Ted Tonks."

Her parents looked blank, but Bellatrix gasped. "_No_!"

"What is this? Who is he, Bellatrix?" demanded her father.

Bellatrix, for once in her life, was speechless. "He... he's a Mudblood," she whispered. Nobody dared speak. Bellatrix finally found her voice. "He's a Mudblood. A _Hufflepuff_ Mudblood. And he's not even good-looking. What possessed you, Andromeda?"

"I don't know what it is," Andromeda admitted quietly. "But I love him. We love each other. He's no different to us."

"And now she's pregnant," Bellatrix announced, pointing a shaking finger at Andromeda's stomach. "She's got one of - _those_ - growing inside her."

There was another stunned silence. Then -

"Out," said her father shortly. "You have five minutes. Pack all your things, and go. Leave. You'll see how much he _loves_ you when you turn up pregnant and penniless on his doorstep."

A single tear streaked down Andromeda's cheek. "But -"

"Now."

The tears started to flow freely. "Mother," she said, turning desperately towards her. "_Please_. You're not really throwing me out?"

Her mother looked at her pitifully. "Come on, Andromeda. See sense. Get rid of the baby, marry Rabastan and forget about him. If you're not willing to do that... you no longer belong to the Black family."

Andromeda ascended the stairs and looked around her bedroom she'd had since childhood one last time. Even though she had been expecting this, she was still absolutely devastated. There had still been that tiny part of her that had hoped that her family loved her enough to put her happiness before their beliefs. But it was not to be. She performed a sweeping movement with her wand, gathering all her possessions into her trunk, and went downstairs for the final time.

"Goodbye," she said, being sure to take in her family's faces.

"Andromeda, think about what you're doing," her mother pleaded. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"Yes, it does," Andromeda said sadly. "I just want you to know that, although I disagree with your beliefs, you're still my family, and I always have, and always will, loved you. I just wish I could stop you from turning into what you're turning into. Goodbye, Mother. And Bella," she said, turning towards her older sister. "Be careful. Please."

There was no emotion displayed on Bellatrix's face. Andromeda now knew that there would not be a day of her life when she would not worry about her.

"Your time's up," her father said harshly. "Get out. And you're not coming back."

"Oh, I know that," she said, a look of disgust on her face. "I wish I could help you, but you're beyond help. Get over yourself."

And with that, she slammed the front door, and ran out onto the street, tears streaming down her face, into the pouring rain, and Ted's open arms were awaiting her.

"Shh, shh," Ted said comfortingly.

"Thank you so much for waiting for me," Andromeda said shakily as she sobbed onto his shoulder. "I need you right now, Ted."

"And you've got me," he said soothingly.

When her sobs had calmed, he pushed her arms off his. "Dromeda," he began seriously, "I know this might not be the right time, and you're sort of... _grieving_ for your family, but I want to do this properly, for you and for the baby."

He got down on one knee, and withdrew a little box from his coat pocket. Andromeda gasped.

"Andromeda Black, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

"Yes," she cried, and her tears transformed into tears of joy, and their lips came crashing together in the midst of the pouring rain, and it was at that moment that she realised that Ted and the baby were the only family she needed.

* * *

**A/N: Well that was heartbreaking to write...**

**This is a repost of this chapter because I made a little mistake (thanks for pointing it out, kci47!) and also because my A/N didn't save.**

**So thanks to everyone for reviewing and I'm still not J K Rowling, glad my writing is so fabulous you mistook me for her ;)**

**Drop me a review and tell me what you thought.**


	6. Month Six: Perfect

**28th December 1972**

The wedding was a quiet affair. Just a few close members of Ted's family, a few of his school friends and a few of Andromeda's work colleagues who pitied her enough to come along. Andromeda was being given away by her Uncle Alphard, without the family's knowledge. Alphard was the only member of the Black family who didn't set much store by blood purity, and he had written to Andromeda after he had heard what happened to say that he supported her decision. She was grateful that at least one member of her family was present at her wedding.

"Nervous?" he asked, as they waited outside the hall.

"Not really," she said truthfully. "Just... thinking."

It was true. What was there to be nervous about? This wasn't the wedding of her childhood dreams. She wasn't wearing a tight, frilly dress, presenting herself in front of all these ancient pure-blood families, who would turn their nose up at her if she made the slightest stumble. She wasn't trying to impress anyone. She was just there to be herself.

All the same, Alphard placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him. She was so happy that he sent the letter and that he was there. She didn't know who else would have given her away. It slightly filled the gaping hole left by her family. But she couldn't help herself from sighing and wishing that it didn't feel so wrong to be doing this without her parents and sisters.

"It's time," he said, checking his watch.

They opened up the double doors, and the beautifully decorated hall and the look of adoration on Ted's face were easily enough to dismiss any doubts that she had.

"You look beautiful," he whispered, once she had walked up the aisle and took her place beside him in front of the registrar.

Andromeda couldn't help but grin as the registrar began, "We are gathered here today..."

She disagreed. She didn't think she looked beautiful. It wasn't really very dignified to get married with a baby bump (yes, it was becoming more prominent by the day). She had definitely had some disapproving looks in Madam Malkin's when she asked to be fitted for a _maternity_ wedding gown. She liked her dress though; it was long, lacy and loose-fitting so her bump wasn't too obvious. However, Andromeda had still had several moments of horror over the past few weeks thinking how awful her wedding photos would look. But then she remembered that she didn't belong to the Blacks any more - in fact today she would officially become Andromeda _Tonks_ - and she didn't have to worry about what everybody else would think.

But there were other types of beauty, and even though she couldn't see herself, Andromeda knew that Ted was referring to the radiant look on her face. It felt so perfect, so much more than she had expected it to. She looked down towards the child that was growing inside her stomach. Yes, it was a child. She hadn't thought about it like that enough. This brought them together, _united_ them. They could be like a proper family.

The ceremony passed in a whirl amongst Andromeda's thoughts - she just about managed to say all the right things in all the right places - and it seemed like no time at all before Andromeda had a ring on her finger and the registrar pronounced them husband and wife. They kissed passionately; they didn't care that there was anyone watching. Andromeda had wanted to kiss him ever since she had opened the door and seen his lovestruck expression. They could finally be a normal couple, they didn't have to hide any more.

Before the kiss broke, Andromeda felt something. A twinge in her stomach. She pulled away from Ted abruptly.

"Ted! Can you feel this?" she exclaimed, seizing his had and pressing it to her bump. "There! It kicked! The baby kicked!"

"Oh, yes! I feel it!" he cried joyfully. "I was thinking it should be about time it showed itself. And what better time? It must know that this is meant to be!"

And suddenly, Andromeda realised, looking down at her expanding stomach, the baby seemed less like a problem, and more like something amazing.

* * *

**A/N: Well this chapter hated me! I've been trying to write a wedding scene for ages, I even created a challenge to see if it would help me with any inspiration, but it didn't really work, haha. But I got there in the end, thanks to kci47 and her invaluable help with this chapter! Let me know what you thought, I'm especially desperate for feedback on this chapter! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed previous chapters, I love you a lot.**

**Disclaimer: I am not, and never will be, J K Rowling, and therefore I am not lucky enough to take the credit for Harry Potter.**


	7. Month Seven: Surprise

**4th January 1973**

"Where are we going, Ted?" Andromeda asked again insistently.

"I told you, wait and see!" he answered determinedly. They were in the seaside hotel where they had spent their honeymoon, but their stay had come to an end. It had been a lovely, lovely week, despite the fact that Andromeda was now thirty weeks pregnant and not very mobile. Now Ted had packed up their things and they were ready to leave. He had told Andromeda that he was taking her by side-along-Apparition; he wanted to keep their destination secret.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't like surprises," she moaned.

"Yes, you do," he contradicted her. "You just don't like the thought of them. And I can guarantee you will like this one."

Andromeda sighed. "Okay then. Let's go."

He took her hand lovingly, and she felt the horrible squeezing feeling (which was even worse during pregnancy) and heard the loud crack as they Apparated to their destination.

It was an ordinary suburban street, nothing special. You could hear the sound of traffic not too far away; the houses were fairly small and the front gardens were certainly not as well kept as those where Andromeda had grown up, although it didn't necessarily look like a rough area. Andromeda was curious.

"What are we doing here, Ted?" she enquired, more intrigued than frustrated, as she was earlier.

"We're just here to pay someone a visit," he said, although he had mischievous look on his face.

"Who? Who lives here?" she demanded.

"Guess!" he said. There was a look on his face that suggested... but surely not... surely he would have told her if he'd found somewhere?

"I can't guess," she said, not wanting to risk it.

"Us!" he exclaimed, beaming.

"_No_!" she laughed. "Us? You're having me on."

"I'm not," Ted promised. He withdrew a key from his pocket and waved it at her. She snatched it from him. "Number sixteen," he told her.

She fumbled with the key in the lock, hardly daring to believe it. She opened the door and entered their new house. The furniture was already perfectly set up, and the house was spotless. It wasn't huge - a living room, dining room, kitchen and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. But it was _home_.

"How did you manage it?" Andromeda breathed. "You bought a _house_?"

"Well, I didn't actually _buy_ it," Ted admitted, as they settled down onto the new sofa. "It's only rented. But it's a home."

"It's a home," Andromeda agreed joyfully. "Oh, thank you so much, Ted. You're amazing, did you know that? What a wonderful surprise!"

"I told you you would love it," Ted said teasingly, which earned him a playful shove in return.

"Shush, you! And you can't push me back, because I'm pregnant," Andromeda pointed out, sticking her tongue out.

"Maybe not," he agreed. "But I _can_ do this," he said, with a glint in his eye, and he started a tickling war, which lasted for a good few minutes until both of them had tears of laughter streaming down their faces.

"Seriously, though," Andromeda continued, once they had recovered, "thank you. I guess I was kind of homeless before this."

"You weren't," Ted argued. "You would always be welcome at my parents', you know that."

"I know," she acknowledged, "and I'm grateful for that, really. But it wasn't _mine_. It's not the same as having your own place. I already feel like I belong here."

"I'm so glad you like it," said Ted, beaming.

Andromeda beamed back. "And I'm so glad you found this place! Seriously, I thought we'd be living in a one-roomed flat or something."

"Of course not!" Ted exclaimed. "What do you take me for, a commoner?" Andromeda laughed. "Besides," Ted continued, "we need the extra space for the baby."

Andromeda was silent for a moment. "Ted, our child will grow up in this house. Our little boy or girl." She caressed her stomach lovingly. "How amazing is that?"

"Pretty amazing," Ted agreed. Andromeda was silent again for a minute. "What are you thinking?" Ted asked her.

"Nothing," she said quickly, but Ted saw the look of pain that briefly flashed across her face.

"You're thinking about your family, aren't you?" Ted asked, but he already knew that she was.

Andromeda hesitated. She felt so guilty saying all this to Ted; she was worried that he would think she regretted choosing him. "I... sometimes I forget. Sometimes I just think everything's normal, and that I can go home and tell them all about my day. I just asked myself when I thought my parents would be free to come over and see this. And then I remembered. I remembered they don't give a toss about me any more. This is so awful, Ted, but sometimes I wish I could go back in time, to before the baby, when everything was so simple, when I could have the best of both worlds, when any decisions I would have to make were hazy in the distant future. Not that I regret any of my choices, not for a second, and I know that I will love this baby with all of my heart, but sometimes I just wish I could have everything. It's so selfish."

Ted wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, hey," he soothed, cradling her as the tears began to flow. "It's not selfish, Dromeda. You're one of the least selfish people I know. It's just natural. Of course you miss your family. Of course you want them in your life. _I'd_ be selfish, and naive, if I thought that wasn't true. It's not as simple as choosing between them and me. I understand that. So if you ever need to talk about it, don't hold back on my account. I'll be here to listen."

"Thank you, Ted," she whispered. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do," he contradicted her. "You deserve everything the world can give you, because you're an amazing, strong woman and I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N: So I was just going to write you a nice little fluffy chapter, but that bit near the end just crept in, haha. Hope you liked it, reviews would be much appreciated! I think I only got one for the last chapter :'(**

**Thank you again to kci47 and I still don't own Harry Potter.**

**Btw, in case you were wondering I missed the deadline for the competition, but never fear - I will definitely be finishing this! 3 chapters to go, one is already written and waiting!**


	8. Month Eight: Individual

**15th February 1973**

Andromeda perked up when she heard the door: Ted was back.

He leant down to kiss her on the sofa by the fire; she had reached the stage in her pregnancy where getting up was very difficult.

"How was your day?" he asked as he settled down beside her.

"Awful," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "You know how much I hate being stuck in the house with nothing to do. I wish I could still be at work. But I can't even get out of this chair. Thank God for magic," she said, indicating the fire.

"Thank God for magic," Ted agreed. "I'm sorry you're feeling down, Dromeda. At least you don't have much longer of this left! Which gets me thinking," he added, massaging her stomach, "we ought to think of a name for this little man."

Andromeda made an indignant noise. "Little _man_? How do you know it won't be a girl?"

"I just do," Ted insisted. "A father's instinct."

Andromeda snorted. "So what names have you got in mind?"

"I like... Michael."

She made a face. "It's not very... original, is it?"

"Does it have to be?" he demanded indignantly.

"Well... I don't know. I just want our baby to be called something... individual," Andromeda mused.

"Such as?" Ted asked, looking wary.

"Well, I've always liked the name... Erasmus," she said dreamily, trying it out on her tongue.

Ted looked incredulous. "_Erasmus_? The kid will get bullied all its life! Why not David, after my father?"

"How dull!" Andromeda exclaimed. There was a silence between them - neither wanted to offend the other over such an important decision. Then, Andromeda had an idea. "Okay then. How about this. Since you're so sure it will be a 'little man', how about you choose a boy's name and I choose a girls name?"

"Okay," said Ted uncertainly, "say I said yes and we agreed on David if it's a boy. What on _Earth_ have you got planned for the girl's name?"

"Well," she began, knowing full well that he wouldn't like the answer, "I spent today looking through this book." It was a Muggle book, given to her by Ted's parents, as they were so tickled by the eccentricity of her name and jokingly asked her what name she was going to inflict on their grandchild. "I really like the name Nymphadora. It says here it means 'gift from the Nymphs'. Isn't that beautiful, Ted?"

Ted looked torn. "It is kind of nice, yes. But Dromeda, what's wrong with _normal_ girls' names, like Alice or Daisy or something?"

"Come on Ted," she pleaded. "Like it or not, this child has Black blood in her -"

"Or him," he interjected.

"Or him," she added. "I can't abandon the tradition of crazy names. It just wouldn't seem right. I want my child's name to have personality to it, not something flat like Sarah, or Jane."

Ted considered for a minute. "Well," he said tentatively, "I do kind of like Nymphadora. It's got something to it. And she can always be Dora for short."

Andromeda grinned, and flung her arms around him. "I knew you'd see it!"

"But," he said, turning stern, "if it's a boy, it's David. No discussion allowed."

Andromeda scowled. "It'll be a girl," she said.

"How do you know?" Ted teased.

"I just do."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Only 2 chapters to go... I will genuinely be upset when this is finished. Thank you so much for your support with this story - although there haven't been many reviews, the ones I've had have been fantastic. I just want to say another big thank you to kci47 who is always there to help me when I PM her in a panic because I'm stuck! And more thanks go to ErinnCroi for setting the challenge, it really motivated me to get writing multichaps again as I'd had a bit of a lull. Oooh and thanks to J K Rowling for writing the Harry Potter series in the first place ;) Oh dear, apologies for the overly emotional A/N, it's not even the end yet!**


	9. Month Nine: Confronted

**26th March 1973**

Diagon Alley was a busy place during the Easter holidays. Students were replacing their ruined or too-small robes, lost textbooks, and used up potion supplies; or else stocking up on joke shop merchandise or gazing longingly into the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. And on top of that were the regular shoppers, including Ted and Andromeda, who were laden with shopping bags (well Ted was, anyway) after indulging in some last-minute baby shopping. It was now only two weeks until their due date.

"Why didn't we just find out the sex?" Ted grumbled. "It would have been so much cheaper." It was true; Andromeda had tried to buy clothes in unisex colours like orange and white, but she couldn't resist buying a few little suits in pink and blue. Wasn't that every little girl's dream?

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport," she scolded him. "We discussed it, didn't we, we wanted it to be a surprise."

"I know, I know, _seriously_. I was only making a joke," Ted said, rolling his eyes. But Andromeda's attention had turned elsewhere. "Dromeda. Dromeda?" He looked over to where her eyes were fixed and froze.

Bellatrix was striding across the street towards Madam Malkin's, a disgruntled Narcissa following close behind (Bellatrix was not the easiest person to shop with). Andromeda's eyes were glued to them. She hadn't seen Cissy since the summer. She looked like she had grown up. But Bella was the same as ever. Andromeda could not process seeing such an... _ordinary_ scene. There was no such thing as ordinary in her life at the moment. She found herself drawn towards her sisters, oblivious to Ted's calls. But he didn't follow her; he sensed that this was something she needed to do, and alone.

She slipped into the shop and managed to overhear some snatches of their conversation.

"You can't wear that, Cissy," Bellatrix snapped disgustedly. "It's not some five-year-old's birthday party. The _Dark Lord_ will be there!" Andromeda sighed. Maybe things had changed more than she wanted to admit.

"Don't go shouting about it, Bella!" Narcissa hissed. "Someone might hear!" Luckily, the shop was packed enough that nobody could hear except those, like Andromeda, who were actually listening.

"Let them," Bellatrix declared. "He'll take over soon enough. We should be proud. Honoured."

"Yes, but we don't want to be thrown into Azkaban in the meantime," Narcissa reasoned.

Bellatrix sighed. "I suppose not," she admitted. "But seriously, find something that makes you look... sophisticated! If that's possible," she added cruelly.

"Thanks for that, Bella," Narcissa said sarcastically. "Just because I don't dress like a slut all the time." It was so painful to listen to - Andromeda never would have thought she'd miss the petty sisterly arguments, but she did. Not that she regretted her decision to go with Ted; not that she didn't love him and the baby. Of course she did. But she was about to give birth, and a small part of her just couldn't help longing for some normality.

"Oh, shut up, Cissy," Bellatrix snapped. "You have no taste. I'm going to try these on." She stalked off towards the changing room while Narcissa continued to browse. Andromeda watched her sister inspect various dresses, holding them up against her in the mirror and always rejecting them. Suddenly, she turned the corner to where Andromeda had been hiding. She gasped in horror and the dress she had been holding tumbled to the ground.

"Andi!" she whispered in shock. It must have been alarming to see your sister 38 weeks pregnant when you hadn't even seen her with a bump before. She hurriedly retrieved the dress from the floor and swiftly pushed past the flocks of other customers and retreated to the other side of the shop.

"No - Cissy! Wait!" Andromeda cried desperately, moving after Narcissa as quickly as she could. She reached the other end of the room where Narcissa resumed her browsing. "Cissy, please! Talk to me."

Narcissa ignored her completely, and continued to inspect dresses. She didn't seem satisfied with any of them. Andromeda just stood behind her and watched, until she couldn't stand it any longer. She picked out a coral coloured dress and presented it to Narcissa. "I think it would suit you," she said softly.

Narcissa took it from her uncertainly. She looked at it against her skin tone in the mirror. She looked torn. "It's not the right sort of thing," she said eventually, replacing it where Andromeda had found it.

"Oh. Of course. Not Death Eater fashion," said Andromeda bitterly. "Has Bella _really_ got you involved already? You're not even out of school."

Narcissa laughed. "No. I'm going to some sort of _function_. With Lucius." There was an awkward silence between the two. Then: "Why did you do it, Andi?" Narcissa asked quietly. "Why did you leave us? We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. How could you just abandon everything you had for that Mudblood?"

"Don't say that word," Andromeda said warningly. "I love him, Cissy. When you fall in love with someone, you'll understand."

"But I thought you loved us too!" Narcissa argued.

Andromeda sighed. "It's not the same. And besides," she added, indicating her stomach, "we're having a _baby_, Cissy! _Ted's_ baby! I couldn't kill it. I couldn't just have pretended it was Rabastan's. How could I let that baby live a lie for all its life?"

Narcissa didn't say anything for a minute. "I miss you, Andi," she admitted finally.

"I miss you, too," Andromeda whispered, and the two sisters embraced. "But this is the way it has to be."

Unfortunately, this was the moment that Bellatrix decided to emerge from the changing rooms.

"Cissy? Andi?" she said in disbelief. "Narcissa, how could you? You know what she's done. You know she's no longer welcome in our family. You know we're forbidden from associating with her! Because she's associating with... filth!"

Narcissa looked like she was about to protest, but Bellatrix seized her by the wrist and dragged her out of the shop.

"No! Bella? Please! Cissy!" Andromeda called, sobbing as they left; Bellatrix without sparing a thought, Narcissa with the occasional backward glance. The shop door opened again: Ted came in and took her in his arms as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this update took so long! Anyway, I thought I'd treat you to a bit of drama for the PENULTIMATE CHAPTER! ;) Did you like it? There's one way to let me know...**

**Massive, massive thanks to my wonderful beta, kci47; without her, this chapter probably wouldn't even EXIST, let alone make sense (I wrote this far too late at night...).**

**Yeah, I've run out of witty ways to say this, but I don't own Harry Potter, okay? :P**


	10. Month Ten: Unique

**13th April 1973**

"You did it, Dromeda!" said Ted ecstatically as the Healer handed Andromeda her baby girl.

"Nymphadora," she whispered, as she looked at her child's face for the first time, overwhelmed with feelings. The last few hours - hell, the last few _months_ - were a blur of pain, fear and blood, sweat and tears, but at that moment, Andromeda knew that for this child, and for the amazing man that was standing beside her, it was all worth it.

She pulled Ted down to perch on the bed next to them, and they both peered down, studying their new baby.

"She looks like you," Ted told her, beaming.

Andromeda laughed. "I think she looks more like you."

"No, she doesn't," Ted argued. "Look, she's got your nose."

"But she has your eyes!" Andromeda told him. "And your mouth!"

Then something very strange happened. Andromeda and Ted had looked away from the baby for just a few seconds, but when they looked back, instead of the usual unremarkable brown colour of newborn babies' hair, Nymphadora's hair was ginger.

They were bewildered. "Did you see that?" Andromeda demanded, waving the Healer over.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Ted.

They watched her carefully, and after a minute the colour shifted again, to blonde.

"She must be a Metamorphmagus," said the Healer, surprised.

"Oh, yeah!" In her confusion, Andromeda had forgotten such things existed. She looked puzzled. "I thought it was inherited. It's definitely not on my side of the family."

"It is, usually," the Healer said, nodding.

Ted shrugged. "Well unless I have some magical relative I've never known about, I guess she's just unusual. Unique."

Andromeda smiled_. _Then she suddenly flinched. Nymphadora's hair had turned black.

"What is it?" asked Ted, suddenly concerned. "I didn't mean that in a bad way. I meant... _special_. Any child from these two families would be."

"No, it's not that, Ted, I'm fine," she reassured him quickly. "I... someone just walked over my grave, that's all." She didn't want to put a dent in Ted's happiness. She didn't want to make him think that _she_ wasn't happy. But the shift in Nymphadora's hair colour had just alerted Andromeda to how remarkably similar her features were to Druella'_s._

She snuggled up to Ted and tried not to think about her family. She had never planned for things to happen this way. She was still only nineteen; she had never planned to be a teenage mum, an outcast from her family, or have to support a child on a low income.

But as Nymphadora's hair colours became more adventurous - blue, red, purple - Andromeda knew that the child in her arms and the man beside her were all she needed. Their life could be colourful, _exciting_; there were no rules! Andromeda realised that she had no idea where they would be in five years' time, but instead of being apprehensive, she loved the thought of the blank expanse of space in front of her. Her, Ted and their beautiful daughter. Together at last.

* * *

**A/N: Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the delay in posting this chapter - it was partly because of overwhelming amounts of work and, um, challenge deadlines... and partly because I've been procrastinating and procrastinating writing this because I DON'T WANT IT TO END! But it has to, so there you go. Sorry it's short, too. But I felt this was all I needed to say.**

**Anyway, HUGE thank yous to everyone who reviewed, and also kci47 for all her wonderful beta work! And, um, to J K Rowling for writing Harry Potter so I could borrow her characters ;)**

**Also, I have another TedAndromeda in the works (shorter than this, probably only a one-shot), so keep an eye out for that if you're interested! :D**


End file.
